cliff or for debt ceiling, do you believe the will also raise taxes on middle class. 60% percent of americans understand that once the politicians get the bloodlust out there, once they smell the blood in the water, once they raise taxes on the few, they go after the many. melissa: oh, i absolutely believe that's right but i think that the point is the republicans are losing momentum on the side of not raising taxes. that it is starting to feel more and more like there must be some concession, there must be some caving to get through the fiscal cliff. when you look at senators who have said they're going back on the pledge, lindsey graham, bob corker, tom coburn, lamar alexander, eric cantor, what do you do at this point to keep the fight going? or do you think that it is necessary to concede a little bit of ground? >> well, two things. the senators, the republican senators to a certain extent don't matter because the democratic senate can pass a tax increase if they want the senaaors you mentioned would only vote for a tax increase if they got massive permanent entitlement reforms